Feb. 7, 2011 — Higher vitamin D levels and exposure to sunlight appear to be independently protective against multiple sclerosis, a progressive autoimmune disease that affects around 400,000 Americans.
In a newly published study from Australia that included people with and without early signs of multiple sclerosis (MS), sun exposure and vitamin D levels each predicted disease risk.
It has long been recognized that MS is a disease of latitudes, with high rates reported in colder climates and lower rates seen in tropical ones.
Some previous studies have also found low vitamin D levels to be associated with higher risk for MS. Others have suggested that taking vitamin D supplements may protect against the disease.
But there have also been suggestions that vitamin D — which is produced by the body when the skin is exposed to sunlight — was only part of the story, study researcher Robyn Lucas, PhD, tells WebMD.
In a study published last spring, researchers reported that sun exposure protected against an MS-like disease in genetically susceptible mice and that the protection was not fully explained by the mice’s vitamin D levels.
“We really can’t say at this point if vitamin D is important or if it is just a reflection of sun exposure,” she says.
Sunlight exposes the body to both ultraviolet A (UVA) and ultraviolet B (UVB) rays. Vitamin D production increases mainly with exposure to UVB, but Lucas says some of the protection against MS could come from UVA rays.
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